Animal rights attorneys work for organizations that seek to protect endangered animals.
Animal rights lawyers are public interest attorneys who represent individuals and organizations concerned with animal welfare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 560,000 lawyers employed in the U.S. in 2010. Animal rights lawyers represent a small segment of that population and tend to make salaries comparable to other public interest attorneys.
Salary Range
According to the National Association of Legal Professionals, entry-level public interest attorneys made an average salary of $45,000 per year in 2010. Those with five years of experience made an average salary of $53,560 per year, while those with 11 to 15 years of experience made an average of $70,875 annually. In contrast, the average salary of all lawyers nationwide was about $129,440 per year.
Pay Scale
Placing the salaries of animal rights and other public interest attorneys within the larger picture of lawyer salaries nationwide can provide some additional context. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for those in this field was $112,760 per year in 2010. The lowest paid lawyers made $54,130 or less per year. Those in the lower 25 percent made $75,200 or less. This places animal rights lawyers in the bottom half of the pay scale for most attorneys.
Location
Where an animal rights lawyer works also plays a role in how much the lawyer typically makes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest paid lawyers worked in the District of Columbia, earning an average salary of over $160,000 per year in 2010. Those in California, Delaware, Connecticut and New York also were among the highest paid lawyers in the nation. Average salaries in these states ranged from about $138,000 to $156,000 per year.
Job Outlook
Although many positions in the legal field are highly competitive, the number of jobs in the legal field should grow by about 13 percent from 2008 to 2018. The bureau indicates that there will be increased demand for lawyers in areas that can effect animal rights law like environmental law. The bureau notes that competition may make it necessary for those seeking jobs to be willing to relocate.
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